Apparatus for separating materials



Dec. 31, 1968 c. B. LEVI 3,419,143

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING MATERIALS Filed Dec. 17, 1965 Sheet of 2 INCLINATION ADJUSTABLE ADJUSTING \HB omve 4 MEANS MEANS Inc/67%?- Dec. 31, 1968 c. B. LEVI APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING MATERIALS Sheet 2 of 2 Filed Dec. 17, 1965 United States Patent 3,419,143 APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING MATERIALS Cass B. Levi, Pittsburg, Kans., assignor to The McNally Pittsburg Mfg. Corp., Pittsburg, Kans., a corporation of Kansas Filed Dec. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 514,490 3 Claims. (Cl. 209481) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE Apparatus for separating granular material into relatively coarse and fine particles has an inclined rotatable disc having a central portion with an encircling wall to provide an included angle of about ninety degrees. The granular material within the included angle is agitated by rotation of the disc to cause rolling and tumbling resulting in segregation and stratification according to size. The fines settle to the bottom and are carried to the high part of the inclined disc for removal whereas the coarse particles which work to the top are discharged over the encircling wall in the area of the low portion of the inclined disc. The split between the separated fractions can be varied by varying the angle of inclination of the disc and its speed of rotation, or by adjusting the specific location of the chute for removing the fines, or by a combination of all three.

The invention relates to apparatus for separating coarsely ground materials into two size fractions and has reference more partciularly to relatively simple and improved apparatus for separating ore into fine and coarse particles.

When granular material is confined by two side walls with an approximate ninety degree angle being included and the side walls are moved in relation to the material, the said material can be readily classified into two sizes. The fines migrate down to the apex of the ninety degree angle and are carried counterclockwise to a point where they can be collected. The coarse material works to the top of the fine material and cascades over the retaining wall for discharge. Substantially the same results can be obtained by an inclined moving belt. In both forms of the invention the angle of inclination can be varied and the linear speed of the moving components can also be adjusted to obtain the most efficient separation of the solid material.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended thereto.

In the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the device and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of one form of separating apparatus for granular material and which embodies the several improved features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of another form of the invention wherein a moving conveyor belt is employed;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the separating apparatus as shown in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view of the belt separating apparatus taken substantially along line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 the disc is mounted and supported for rotation on an inclined axis by the journalling shaft 11. The speed of rotation of the shaft 11 and its angle of inclination can be varied independently by means 11A and 11B whereby during operation of the apparatus the speed and/or the inclination can be adjusted to suit the materials being acted on and so that the apparatus can perform its separating function in the most eflicient manner.

The bottom wall of disc 10 is stepped in formation to form a depressed circular center portion 12 and an elevated annular portion 14. The elements 12 and 14 are separated by an inside upstanding wall 16, the said -wall and the circular center portion forming an included angle of approximately ninety degrees. A second wall 18 extends around the periphery of the annular bottom wall 14 and a second included angle is formed by said annular wall and the outside circular wall 18. The granular material to be separated is fed to the center portion 12 of the disc 10 by the chute or feed trough 20. The chute is so positioned as to discharge the granular materials at about a three oclock location with respect to the axis of rotation, or in other words, with respect to the center as formed by the shaft 11. The fine material is collected and discharged by means of the chute or trough 22. The said chute terminates in an apron 24 at its right hand end, FIGURE 2, and the apron has contact with the wall 12 at a nine oclock position with respect to the center of rotation.

In operation of the rotating disc 10 as shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2, the ore or other granular material is fed by the chute 20 to the center wall portion 12 at about a three oclock position with respect to the center of rotation. Upon being deposited on the rotating and inclined wall 12, the heavy and coarse particles fall by gravity downwardly to occupy the space provided by the included angle formed by the bottom wall 12 and the upstanding wall 16. Some of the fines will also descend by gravity and these will help fill the apex of the included angle. However, some of the lighter and smaller fines will adhere to the wall 12 and these will be moved by the rotating action of the disc to the scraping apron 24. The scraping action of the apron will remove the fines and thus said particles will be eventually discharged by the chute 22.

The continued rotation of the disc will produce agitation of the granular material retained by the included angle. This agitation will cause the large, coarse particles to work their way to the top of the material with the finer particles remaining in the apex of the included angle. The rotating action thus performs a separating function with the coarse particles eventually rolling over the top edge of the circular wall 16 and being retained by the outside circular wall 18. The separating action to a degree will be repeated again by. the second angle included by the portion 14 and the wall 18. In time the large, coarse particles will roll over the edge of wall 18 and the same can be collected at this location.

The finer particles which will occupy the apex of the included angle between walls 12 and 16 will be carried around from a three oclock position to a nine oclock position for discharged by the chute 22. Depending on the angle of inclination some of the larger of the finer particles from both included angles will roll down the wall 12 from a twelve oclock position to a six oclock position and these particles will thereupon mix with the new feed coming in for a repeat of the separating operation. Only those fine particles adhering to the wall 12 and which are scraped off by the apron 24 will be removed. However, by decreasing the inclination to render the disc 10 more horizontal than that as shown in FIGURE 2, larger and heavier particles will adhere to the Wall 12 to be eventually removed by the apron 24. The speed of rotation of the disc will also have considerable influence on the separating action so that these two variables give the apparatus a wide range between the coarse and the fine particles which can be separated thereby.

The modification of FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 consists of an endless belt 30 of any suitable material and which is supported for movement by the rollers 31 and 32 located at respective ends. Either one or both of the rollers may be rotated to cause the top run of the belt to move from the lower left end to the top right hand end as illustrated in FIGURE 3. The central part of the top run of the belt is confined between the rollers 33 and 34, the rollers 33 being angled from right to left and the rollers 34 being angled from left to right, as best shown in FIGURE 4. The granular material to be separated is delivered to the belt by the feed chute 35 and the material is preferably delivered at a location near the start of the trough formation formed by the angled rollers. The inclination of the rollers 33 and 34 is such as to form a relatively deep trough with the granular material being initially delivered to the low end of the trough adjacent the roller 31. As the belt is caused to move upwardly the action of the trough is to increase the agitation of the material. The trough in this modification performs substantially the same function as the included angle in the structure of FIGURES 1 and 2. The agitation of the material in the trough assists in settling the fines which work their way to the bottom and thus the heavy, coarse particles work their way to the top. The coarse particles upon reaching the top surface of the material are unconfined and free and the moving action of the belt in addition to gravity will cause these coarse particles to fall back in a descending direction. The large and heavy particles will thus accumulate at the base of the belt adjacent the roller 31, whereas the fines adhering to the belt will be discharged over the roller 32.

The separating action of the moving belt 30 is facilitated by the trough which allows the fines to settle to the bottom and the coarse particles to rise to the top. The separating action is substantially the same as explained for FIGURES 1 and 2. The coarse particles will descend and they can be collected from the lower end of the belt. The fines will adhere to the belt and these will pass over the roller 32. The inclination of the belt and the speed of movement will also materially influence the separating action and in much the same manner as previously described. If the inclination is reduced and the endless belt is positioned more horizontally, then heavier and larger fines will cling to the belt and these will also be discharged over the roller 32.

The invention is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings as various other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for separating granular material into relatively coarse and fine particles, in combination, a supporting member in the form of an inclined disc, a shaft supporting the disc and journalling the same for rotation, said disc including a central portion free of any obstructions thereon and having an upstanding circular wall surrounding the same, whereby the central portion and said circular wall include an angle of approximately ninety degrees therebetween, means delivering granular material to the central portion at a location adjacent the low side of the portion and so that the material occupies the included angle, means rotating the inclined disc to agitate the material within the included angle to cause the fines to work to the bottom and the coarse particles to work to the top, whereby the coarse particles will eventually roll to the low side of the central portion whereas the fines in adhering to the surface of the central portion will be carried to the elevated side of the portion, and separate means for collecting the fines and the coarse particles at the respective locations.

2. Apparatus for separating granular material into relatively coarse and fine particles as defined by claim 1, including means for adjusting the inclination of the disc, and wherein the means for rotating the inclined disc is also adjustable for varying the speed of movement of the central portion.

3. Apparatus for separating granular material into relatively coarse and fine particles as defined by claim 1, wherein the means for collecting the fines includes a discharge chute having an apron portion at the inlet end thereof in scraping contact with the surface of the central portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,081,421 12/1913 Arnold 209-481 1,190,926 7/ 1916 Lotozky 209112 1,699,522 1/1929 Dunkin 209--114 1,757,810 5/1930 Newman 209-481 1,985,513 12/1934 McCleery 20948l 2,434,843 1/1948 Fahnestock.

2,604,995 7/1952 Maslin 2l0396 2,930,484 3/1960 Rodman 209430 FRANK W. LUTTER, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 209485, 490 

